As rumors about Queen Elizabeth’s health swirl, some are claiming that updates have been made to Operation London Bridge, the royal protocol plan that will go into place when the queen passes away.
What Is Operation London Bridge?
For those who have never heard of Operation London Bridge (also called “London Bridge Is Down”), here are the basics. Operation London Bridge is the plan for what will happen in the UK immediately following the death of the queen.
This plan includes everything from how and when her death will be announced to the funeral arrangements, and how Commonwealth nations like Australia and Canada will officially mourn the monarch.
The Sun has recently claimed that new components are being added to the plan. According to the paper, church bells all over England will be muffled, muting their chimes. Most British churches have not muffled their bells since the death of Queen Elizabeth’s father, King George VI.
Why People Think A New Part Of The Plan Has Been Added
The spokeswoman for the General Council of Church Bell Ringers, Vicki Chapman, told the Mail on Sunday, “We have spent a lot of time talking to the Royal Household and Lambeth Palace about the day the Monarch passes, which we hope will not be any time soon.”
“Adding muffles makes bells sound mournful, more like a hum — so they will sound like thud, thud, thud rather than dong, dong, dong,” she explained. “It is about paying due reverence to the service of the Monarch and commemorating her life.”
Supporting these claims are reports from leatherworks all over England, who are saying they have seen a rise in bulk orders for the specialty product. It’s unknown whether this is actually a new part of Operation London Bridge or not, but there are some details about the plan that are confirmed.
What Will Happen When Operation London Bridge Goes Into Effect
For example, flags will be lowered to half-mast within ten minutes of the announcement of the queen’s death. Prince Charles, who will ascend the throne after his mother passes away, will address the nation on the night of her death before going on a mourning tour of Britain.
These new reports of the muffled church bells are all conjecture at this point, with no official word from the palace if this has become a real part of the protocol. Even though many are bracing for the operation to go into effect any day now, Queen Elizabeth still appears to be in good health, receiving visitors and attending to matters of state.
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